Beachside Betrayal
by Enaid Aderyn
Summary: The group reacts to Carth's reaction to Dark Revan. Rated M for language.


_This was inspired by video #113 of asxdefter's ridiculously awesome Let's Play KotOR on You Tube. _

_Needless to say, I don't own Knights of the Old Republic or any of the Star Wars franchise. _

**Beachside Betrayal**

**...**

Carth glared at Revan.

"I see now it was a mistake to let you go into that Temple. I of all people should have seen this coming, first Saul, now you...I mean, I should be an expert on betrayal by now! But nothing you can say or do can make me betray the Republic," he snarled defiantly. "I won't join you, and I won't just stand aside and let you become ruler of the Sith again, Revan!"

And with an over the shoulder shout of, "Run for it, Mission! Go! Go!" he turned tail, scurried away up the path and disappeared around the bend.

A faint whistle as the ocean breeze explored five slack-jawed mouths could be heard in the ensuing dumbfounded silence.

Revan blinked.

"Well. That was...unexpected."

"Disparaging assessment: Pussy." HK-47 commented. The newly-minted Dark Lord smirked at the assassin droid and opened his mouth.

"Let him go!" Bastila interjected. "We have more important things to worry about! We have to get to the Star Forge and Kill Malak! Then we can turn our attention to the Republic!"

Revan ground his teeth and counted to ten, already nostalgic for the brief peace granted when Malak had held Bastila captive. PR was all very well, but he couldn't get a gloat in edgewise around the pushy bitch. He made a mental note to move 'Kill Evil Apprentice-slash-Girlfriend' up on his Dark Lord To-Do List.

"No...oh..." Mission murmured dazedly.

"Nah, I don't buy it," Canderous said suddenly. "Look, I'm the first one to say Carth lives way up his own ass, but a coward he's not. We've all seen him charge a roomful of Sith single-handed, so yeah, he's stupid, but he wouldn't run away from a fight. Let alone," he glanced at Mission, "bail on a twelve year old girl."

T3 whistled.

"Of course I would, if it was tactically sound, but I'm talking about Carth." He unlimbered his blaster. "Here, let me."

The mercenary ran partway up the beach, dropped and crawled commando-style the remainder of the distance to the path, muttering, "Hut! Hut! Hut!" to himself. Rolling to a crouch and slamming his back against a rockfall, he paused long enough to set his weapon before leaping around the bend and spraying the trail with blaster fire.

"A-HA!...Hah?" His weapon drooped, and Canderous straightened, scratching his head. "Well, I'll be damned." Turning back, he shrugged at the watching party.

"Vindicated reiteration: Pussy."

"No...oh, no he DIDN'T!" Mission burst out furiously. "What the hell? What the _hell?_ One minute he's all, 'Oh, you don't have to help the Sith, Mission, as long as I'm here,' and the next he's all, 'Run awaaay!' What the _fuck_ was that?" She rounded on the rest of the group, who as one took a wary step back.

"My brother abandons me to live in the sewers, my home world gets blown to hell, and now Captain Oh-Noes-I've-Been-Betrayed buggers off and leaves me alone to face a Dark Lord and assorted psychopathic Sith-sympathizers." Wiping away the excess spittle generated by that final phrase, she stabbed a finger at Revan, who looked around and pointed inquiringly at himself.

"Fine! I've had it! I'm with you – let's go kill shit."

"Yes! Embrace your anger! Join us! Swear your loyalty to Darth Revan!"

"Shut up, Bastila!" Mission waved peremptorily at Zaalbar. "Come on, Big Z."

"Ooarrgh warrrh rowrrararargh growf hurf grooargh arrrgrrowrr oorrarrugh wokkawokkawokka rowrr." [trans: "Okay."]

The Wookiee meekly followed the girl as she stomped into the ship.

"So, really, no sign of Carth?" Revan murmured to Canderous as the merc rejoined him.

"None. He's long gone."

"Tch. Well, too bad about the cannon-fodder, though I'll be glad not to hear any more of his constant suspicious whining about being betrayed by the Sith."

"In fairness, as it turned out..."

"That's so not the point," Revan waved off the comment. "I must say I'm going to miss some of that equipment he took off with, though." He knuckled his chin thoughtfully. "Huh. Guess that explains why I kept getting the feeling I should have stripped him before returning to the _Ebon Hawk_."

Canderous gave him a quizzical look

"Really? I thought you Force users put a lot of stock in 'trusting your feelings.' Why didn't you act on it?"

"Let's just say it was...er...open to misinterpretation," Revan muttered uncomfortably. Raising his voice, he called, "Let's get this show on the road, people."

"Well done Lord Revan! You are as ruthless as Malak ever was! Quickly now! We have to get to the Star Forge & destroy the Usurper!"

"Bastila..."

"The Jedi Council has failed! Darth Revan has been reborn! Together we will destroy Malak and seize control of his fleet, then use it to crush the Republic!"

"Bastila!"

"Yes!"

"Seriously. Dial it down."


End file.
